Eternal Night
by Jacay
Summary: Aure was a regular girl for a while, but when she finds out the truth about her past, everything changes.
1. Chapter One - The Dawning

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, so Mr. People-who-might-come-and-get-me-if- I-don't-put-on-a-disclaimer, that was my disclaimer. And if the title's already taken, sorry. I didn't know.  
  
Author's Note: This IS a Pokemon story, but the Pokemon references, apart from TR and Gio and stuff, will come later. Oh yeah, this is just the first chapter. If I get at least three reviews, I will make a second chapter.  
  
1.1.1 Eternal Night  
  
It was night. Sure, it was supposed to be day, but it was so totally night, that even the bats, though they would ordinarily be asleep at that time of the day, could tell it was night. Yet somehow, it was 3:30 P.M., and it was pitch black outside. Few people knew the real reason. And the ones that would've told the others could tell no one. Because those people were dead.  
  
It had been night for three days straight now, and it was rumored that if you went outside, the demons would get you. This wasn't true. Not even close. For you could go outside, yes, but if you did, you would know why it was night. And the Eclipse didn't want anyone to know that. So, in truth, if you journeyed into the darkness, you were dead.  
  
The Eclipse was something of a new Team Rocket and a much craftier police...they seemed to know essentially all that was happening along with what they should do about it. They weren't allies with anybody, nor were they enemies with anybody; they were just...there. But what the people didn't know was that the Eclipse ran everything; made sure everything was okay. And what they also didn't know was just who was part of the Eclipse. Though none of the members acted as regular citizens, that was the image they put out, so no one knew whether their best friends or spouses or even kids were apart of it...not that it mattered. Because the Eclipse might as well not have existed to the regular people for all they knew about it; it was all pretty fable anyway.  
  
Which was fine with the Eclipse; if the public knew much about them, they would get more and more suspicious. And eventually they would probably even know that the Eclipse were assassins.  
  
But one child did know that. A child, mind you, and a mature one at that. This child was one Aure Keena, and she found out quite by accident just what the Eclipse was.  
  
On The Dawn of the Eternal Night, as it would be called centuries later, Aure was walking home from soccer, her azure-colored hair put up in a sloppy ponytail, her jersey damp with sweat and her soccer shorts sporting large grass stains. Coincidentally, there was no one around, for miles she would find out later, which was quite odd as she was walking down a normally crowded street. Dusk was upon the town of Polie and Aure was whistling happily, holding her soccer ball under one arm, when it happened. A light breeze started it. Aure welcomed it and turned to the North so that it was blowing full force into her sweaty face. Quite suddenly, the breeze turned to a gust, then a fierce wind, and Aure was no longer welcoming it. Since it was coming from the north, it was a cold wind, and the sweat on Aure's face had long since dried. She was becoming cold and panicked now, and the wind was still strengthening, but the girl made no move to turn around. The wind gave one last push, and Aure suddenly found herself stumbling into the alley behind her. She had one last fleeting glimpse of a woman--floating? she couldn't tell--before her head connected with the ground and everything went black for her, the sound of her soccer ball bouncing echoing into the night.  
  
---  
  
  
  
She awoke with the same woman beside her, frowning. Aure didn't open her eyes; didn't want to see where she was, and besides, she was too tired. Although her eyes were closed, she could tell she was still outside, in the alley, and that it was dark. She took this all in within a second, and about two seconds later, opened her eyes and sat up with a start. The woman smiled, and it this woman that had caused her to awaken. How had she known it was the same woman she'd seen earlier? But the woman gave her no time to dwell on this.  
  
"Good. You're awake...." The woman had a strange lilt to her voice, and stranger still, her voice was soft and musical. She frowned again and looked at the man standing next to her. "I didn't realize the girl would be a child." The man scowled.  
  
"I didn't either. Perhaps there was a mistake...." He had a sour tone to his voice, quite unlike the woman's.  
  
"There has been no mistake." Spat a man from the shadows. The woman and man instantly flung themselves at his feet. "This girl is precisely the one we've been looking for." He wore a red suit and his hair was slicked back. It was nearly as dark as the sky above them, Aure noticed.  
  
"Who are you?" Aure whispered hoarsely. The man with the black hair smirked.  
  
"Ah, she speaks." He bent his neck to the left and right, making two unpleasant popping sounds. "These are my assistants, Paige," He motioned towards the woman. "And Flavian." The other man scowled slightly, while Aure scowled darkly.  
  
"But who are you?" She demanded, her eyes fearful but her mouth a stubborn frown. "I didn't ask who they are!" The black-haired man chuckled lightly.  
  
"They call me Giovanni." Aure's face instantly became a mask of fear. While no one knew much about the Eclipse, everyone knew about Team Rocket. And who the leader was. "I am both the leader of Team Rocket and the leader of the Eclipse." That was all that was needed to scare Aure away. She leapt up from where she'd been sitting and ran as hard as she could away from Paige, Flavian, and Giovanni, and kept running all the way home. Paige and Flavian leapt up as well from where they'd been groveling and pulled guns from their pockets as quick as a flash, pointing them at the retreating figure. "No need for that." Paige and Flavian turned to him questioningly, their guns lowered, and Giovanni said simply, "She left her soccer ball." And indeed, she had. 


	2. Chapter Two - Strange Encounters

Disclaimer: Pokemon isn't mine. Giovanni isn't mine. Paige, Flavian, Polie, Aure, and everything else not seen in the show or games or manga are mine. The plot is mine. I thought it up. If someone else happened to think up the same thing I did, it's a coincidence. Yeah. Not mine. Boo hoo. Please do not sue.  
  
Comments: Ideas, anyone? Please! I need ideas! *gets down on knees* I'm begging you! And please review! So, starting from where I left off so long ago….  
  
1 Eternal Night, part two  
  
Aure's feet pounded on the pavement, the hollow pang pang pang echoing throughout the city. She panted as she ran, her heart pounding, and though it felt like she'd been running for miles, she'd probably only been running for about twenty blocks. Behind her, someone followed, but silent as the night. The fact that night was already upon Polie hadn't quite registered in Aure's mind yet, but it would soon.  
  
Aure ducked around a corner, her footsteps now muted by grass, but she was panting harder than ever. It was probably a good thing that her stuff was kept in the abandoned general store nearby, because if she had to run much longer, Aure thought she'd probably faint.  
  
The door swung open easily, and Aure stumbled into a corner, where her coat lay in a heap. She pulled it on, then sunk into the corner herself. She looked nervously out the grimy windows, then a memory suddenly worked its way to the front of her mind.  
  
"Don't worry, honey, everything will be okay. They won't find us here…." A soft voice crooned. Through Aure's infant eyes, everything looked so big and new. She had the feeling of being very warm and snug, as though a very soft, fleecy blanket was wrapped tightly around her, but not so tightly that it was uncomfortable. The voice spoke again: "Aure, baby, we're going to run away, but you must remember that I will always love you." The voice was slightly worried now. "I don't know what'll happen if I—if I don't make it…." The voice trailed off as Aure closed her blue, blue eyes and yawned. A faraway gunshot rang out and Aure opened her eyes suddenly and for the first time saw the speaker. Light blue hair swirled around the woman's shoulders as she looked down the dingy alley the two were standing in. Aure looked the direction the speaker was looking, and far away, three dark figures were sprinting toward Aure and the woman. "We're leaving Aure, so hold on tight! Don't let Mommy go…"  
  
Aure blinked suddenly, her eyes returning from their glazed state to their regular frosty-blue state. 'Where did that come from?' she wondered, 'How could I remember her…when I was so young?' Her wonderings ceased, however, when a sharp scuffling sound outside propelled her to her feet. There was bang on the door, almost as though someone was trying to—Aure gasped. 'They found me! Oh crap, they found me!' She knelt down, panic overwhelming her, and dug around in the old black backpack her things were kept in. She pulled out a Pokeball and stood just as the door opened and someone—she couldn't tell what the someone looked like in the dim light—stepped inside and shut the door quietly. The someone stepped silently over to the grimy window Aure had been looking out just a minute earlier. Aure, hidden in the shadows behind the rotting counter, wasn't seen by the mystery character, but she could definitely tell what she saw was an adolescent boy. The moonlight clearly illuminated his features; his light colored skin, dull green eyes, and dark purple hair. After a moment or so, he spoke. "Damn them…why do they have to follow me?" He seemed to be biting his lip. "Why can't they just…" his faced twisted, his anger showing quite clearly through his eyes and the way his fist clenched on the windowsill, "leave me alone!?" Tears of rage gathered in his eyes, making them shine in such a way that it seemed almost as though they were glowing. It was at this point that Aure decided to unveil herself. She took a step forward, leaving the safety of the shadows. With one trembling hand, she held out her Pokeball toward the boy. "If you make one wrong move, I'm going to throw this Pokeball at you and you will regret it dearly." Aure's voice wavered as she threatened him. Her heart pounded forcefully, bouncing vigorously against her ribcage. Her breath came out in short, ragged spurts, so that it gave the appearance of panting. The boy, standing in front of her, seemed equally terrified, but he showed his terror differently. His booted feet were frozen to the ground, his pupils dilated, and his jaw hung slightly. Aure's eyebrows were knitted together as she advanced toward him. She stared angrily. "What are you doing here?" She demanded in an ominous whisper. The boy lost his shyness.  
  
"I came to borrow a cup of sugar." He said sarcastically. "Yeah, what the hell do you think I'm doing here?! I'm running away!" Their eyes locked in twin glares. "Idiot." He mumbled. It was at this point that Aure snapped. She rushed at him, grabbing him by the collar and pinning him against the wall. "Don't you dare talk to me like--" She was interrupted by his fist. Aure fell to the floor in a heap, her nose bloody. "Like what, little girl?" He knelt beside her, his hands curled into fists. From the floor, a muffled response came: "Don't call me little girl." She ground out. In a flash, she had his arms pinned behind his back. Though she was much smaller than he was, Aure managed to hold him in a vice-like grip. "I am not a little girl!" Her knee swiftly found a place in the middle of the older boy's back. "Who are you, anyway?"  
  
He winced. "Why should I tell you?" In response, she kneed him again. He gasped sharply. "Point taken. My name's Haruki, and I would appreciate it if you let go of me." Aure snorted. "Yeah, right." Haruki seemed to shrug, though it was hard to tell, what with his arms locked behind him, immobilizing his shoulders. "Look here, Haruki," she said his name with scorn obvious in her tone of voice, "I don't trust you, and I don't really have much of a reason to. If you don't want to cooperate, fine, I'll let my Charizard make you." She smirked, and at the same time, Haruki smirked. "No you won't." He said matter-of-factly. "You don't have any Pokemon." When Aure's grip loosened in surprise, he wriggled out of her grasp, stood up, and grabbed the Pokeball. Haruki smiled at it smugly, pressed the button to enlarge it, and then tossed it behind him. He didn't even need to turn around to know that nothing happened, that the Pokeball had just opened and nothing had come out of it. He smirked.  
  
"Now stop lying, and maybe I'll tell you something useful."  
  
  
  
- - - - - -  
  
Well, that's the second chapter! The third will be from a different perspective, but, of course, still third person. I'm sure you can understand what's going on, but if you can't, then you must read the next chappy. It's more of a filler, giving information so that people aren't left totally and utterly confused. So, just go ahead review, will ya? Anonymous reviews or whatever, I don't, so long as I get at least two more reviews. Also, I changed the rating to R, because of cussing and dark themes and stuff. Well, that's about all! See ya next time! 


	3. Chapter Three - Running

Disclaimer: I hide from the big, cruel world in my pathetic excuse for a room, cowering from those scary lawyers wanting to sue me. The lawyers who want to sue me for not putting a disclaimer on my work. Well, you can all leave now, for I state the words those same intimidating people cringe at: Pokemon is not mine, so go stuff your head in a toilet! Er, I mean, all things in this fic not in the Pokemon games, movies, shows, comics, etcetera, are mine. Period. All there is to it. The plot is mine. If your story happens to have the same plot, then you must apologize profusely for stealing mine.  
  
Comments: Reviews would be nice. I like those. And you can offer me suggestions or flames or whatever to: inflate_kate4@hotmail.com .  
  
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Exactly three and a half blocks from Aure and Haruki's hideout, Paige crouched in the shadows, clutching a cell phone. "We must find them," she whispered. "They are mandatory to our mission, Flavian! I don't care what means you must use to capture them, just capture them!" She spoke quietly, her bell-like voice holding an urgent tone. "And take care of the ones who will get in the way of completing out mission, too. I have no time to do so myself. The girl-" for some reason, she refused to call Aure by anything other than 'the girl'-"is a danger to all. If she falls into the wrong hands, who knows what will happen?" Paige looked nervously around, though one wouldn't be able to tell she was nervous as she wore dark glasses. "I have to go." She hung up, glanced around, and then took off running toward the hideout.  
  
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Flavian also turned off his cell phone. "Take care of them?" he murmured, "Please!" From a long black overcoat, he pulled out a laptop. He flipped up the screen and several windows popped up, one being a map of the city with several blinking, moving dots of different colors on it. One requested a password to continue, and Flavian typed something in quickly without even bothering to look at the keyboard. Seven asterisks appeared, then, a moment later, the screen changed to a page full of complicated symbols. Two minutes later, Flavian pressed 'enter' with a flourish, and a barely audible 'ding' was heard. The security system was launched, and all but a handful of people, inside and out of their homes, were knocked out. Flavian smirked triumphantly. "Take that."  
  
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Thirteen years ago exactly, a blue-haired baby was born in a small village in a secluded mountain range several thousand miles outside of Kanto. The mother and child fled the mountain range; the mother having decided a cave was no place to raise a child. They traveled swiftly, and soon arrived in a small town, and it was in this town that they had their first encounter with the gang Team Rocket. For some reason, the gang singled out the mother and child. They fled, but were easily found, and a struggle ensued. The mother was knocked to the ground and shot in the head. The baby was stolen and taken to the Team Rocket headquarters. She became a human experiment, and eventually, it came to the attention of the scientists experimenting on her that she must be named. Because of her uncanny liking of the wind, the baby, now one year old, was christened Aure.  
  
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"Now stop lying, and maybe I'll tell you something useful." Aure heard Haruki say. Her face was frozen into a mask of hatred and shock, but wheels were turning quickly in her mind. She finally spat out, "Okay. My name's Aure, I'm about thirteen, I have no parents, and I am currently being chased by some – er, people." She glared at him, then asked, "Is that good enough?" Haruki barely nodded. The moonlight glanced off of his purple hair, making it seem almost silver.  
  
"If you must know, I'm also being chased. If we move quickly, they might not find us," Haruki said calmly. He crossed his arms. Aure glanced uneasily at him, then returned her stare to the window. "What's with this 'we' and 'us' business?" she asked obnoxiously. "I don't want to team up with you, you know." Haruki nodded.  
  
"I realize that, but we're both running from the same people, and I would be very surprised if they didn't know we are here." He let his long, black lashes fall, seeing only darkness for a few moments, knowing exactly what Aure would do. She rolled her eyes; just what he predicted.  
  
"Yeah, okay, well whatever," Aure mumbled, "Let's go then." She walked silently over to the corner she'd been hiding in and picked up her ratty old backpack. The Pokeball that Haruki had thrown earlier had rolled into the corner, and Aure put it in her backpack. She slung the black bag over her shoulder, then stood, facing Haruki directly. He, too, was wearing a coat, and it, like hers, was black. They stared at each other for a few moments, until Haruki turned and opened the door. "Come on," he said simply. Aure walked uneasily out the door, which Haruki was holding open for her. He closed it silently, then motioned to Aure to follow him.  
  
Haruki, to Aure's surprise, took off running so swiftly that it took a moment for the younger girl to realize he was gone. She blinked, and then sprinted after him, hastily adjusting her pack to rest more comfortably against her back. Haruki didn't seem to have a particular destination in mind; he was merely moving in a northwesterly direction. Aure increased her pace slightly; not wanting to shout (which is a bad thing to do when one is being chased), she was forced to be just even with him. Aure gained a sudden burst of speed, which cost her dearly as it brought upon breathlessness sooner than she would have preferred, and managed to get just beside Haruki. The boy stared down at her, his coat flapping behind him, in an almost cold way. Aure hesitated slightly. Her heart was racing from anxiety and fear, and she felt the sudden urge to stop and sit and wrap her arms around her legs and just drown herself in an ocean of tears. Haruki saw the fear in her eyes and he, too, had an urge to stop, but he wanted to hold the girl and rock her to sleep, to comfort her, and make everything better, but he didn't, though his gaze softened a very little bit. At the same instant this thought went through his head, he chided himself for thinking such a thing: he saw it as betrayal to himself, somehow.  
  
Aure opened her mouth. It took great effort; too much, she thought, but managed somehow to get words to come out: "Where are we going?" she whispered, her voice trembling. Haruki's stare hardened once more. "Out of this town," he murmured, and then turned his eyes ahead once more.  
  
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It was only when Aure's lids were drooping with fatigue, and her legs were so weary she stumbled every few steps, that Haruki slowed to a walk. Their pace had been reduced to a leisurely canter earlier, though there was nothing really leisurely about running from people who wanted to put Haruki and Aure in a lab that smelled of chemicals and run tests over them their whole lives. Aure would have collapsed right then and there, had it not been for Haruki gripping her wrist tightly. He really hated making much contact with people, even though earlier he had wanted to hold and caress Aure's aching body…come to think of it, that sounded very nice to Haruki. Holding her in his arms, stroking her silky, shining hair, whispering comforting words in her ear, feeling her soft skin against his…all that sounded like pure bliss. But then, of course, his daydream ended and he nearly slapped himself for thinking that. 'With her?!' he thought, 'That's like fraternizing with the enemy!' What he wanted was peace, he realized suddenly, and if it took that to make peace…if it took that to be a hero, which he wanted most…. He shuddered; dropped Aure's wrist so that she fell. It had been his firm hold on her that had kept her from doing so sooner, but with nothing to keep her conscious, she could no longer support herself. Aure fell asleep.  
  
And a few mere feet away, both Aure and Haruki made invisible by large, leafy bushes whose cool leaves draped against what skin was left uncovered, Haruki, too, let sleep take him. 


End file.
